Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 135471.015 - Two employees sustain burns when struck by acid after turnar

Accident Summary Nr: 135471.015 -- Report ID: 0626700 -- Event Date: 05/04/2021
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
1529953.015	05/10/2021		324110	Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery

Abstract: At 3:15 p.m. on May 4, 2021, two employees working as plant operators for a petroleum refinery were helping start-up an alkylation unit after a turnaround. A 3/4" bull plug was not reinstalled properly after the line was purged. The bull plug blew out of a 2-inch line releasing a hydrofluoric (HF) acid vapor cloud. This resulted in a site and community shelter in place. Both employees were struck by HF acid and hospitalized. The employees were trapped without water or proper egress causing one to have to travel through the vapor cloud and up the tower to get breathing air. The other employee had to jump off an approximate 20-foot platform to escape (captured by camera footage). The deluge system release had a delay that exceeded 30 seconds before activation after the acid cloud was detected. This event sent these employees to the emergency room due to direct concentrated exposure to the acid resulting in extensive tissue damage to the face, eyes and lungs. Employee #1 was hospitalized to treat burns to his eyes, chest, face and respiratory tract. Employee #2 was hospitalized to treat burns to his eyes, abdomen, face and respiratory tract.

Keywords: Abdomen, Bull, Burn, Chemical, Chemical Burn, Chemical Exposure, Chemical Vapor, Chest, Corrosion, Corrosive, Equipment Operator, Eye, Face, Hydrofluoric Acid, Inadequate Maint, Inhalation, Installing, Insufficient Supervision, Lack of Work Procedures, Lung, Maintenance, Operator, Purging, Struck By, Supervision, Training

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	1529953.015	49	M	Hospitalized injury
2	1529953.015	38	M	Hospitalized injury		Miscellaneous plant and system operators

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